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Jubilee darts into the manor and quietly kicks the door closed behind herself. It’s late. Way past curfew. She’s just hoping they didn’t have Scott or Logan stay up to wait for her. Those are the two most likely to sit her down for a forty-five minute lecture.
“Out late, petit .” Jubilee paused where she’d been trying to sneak past the kitchen, closing her eyes and sighing quietly. Slowly, she turned and found Gambit leaning against the kitchen island in a t-shirt and jeans, sunglasses perched atop his head.
It doesn’t matter how long she’s been here, it will never stop being weird seeing any of the X-Men wearing casual clothes.
“Oh, uh, hey Gambit.” She gives a weak smile. “What’re you doing up?”
He rolls his eyes. “What’d’you t’ink?”
“Please don’t tell Scott,” she begged, dropping the act immediately. “Or Jean. Or Storm or Logan or–”
“Relax, Jubi. Remy ain’t no snitch.” He raised a hand, as though to show his honor, then pointed a finger at her coat and asked, “Now dat bein’ said–”
“Oh please don’t tell anyone!” She begged, hurrying into the kitchen in the hopes of preventing his voice from being heard. “It’s pouring out and she was so cold and wet and–”
“Woah, woah, facile, petit. Easy.” He held up a placating hand. “What’you got dat you so scared of being found out?”
Jubilee hesitated. “Promise you won’t tell Scott?”
“Course I won’t.”
“You have to promise.”
He rolled his eyes again, but nodded. “ Promesse. ”
She still hesitated a second longer before slowly withdrawing a teeny, tiny kitten from inside her coat. Gambit’s eyes went wide at the sight of the little creature. It was so small and scraggly, thin in a way that made it clear it had been starving.
“I found it on my way home,” Jubilee began to explain. “It was crying and it’s raining, pouring actually, and I just felt so awful I just had to do something and–”
“Y’alright, petit , Gambit get it.” He gently reached out and took the kitten from her, the small creature letting out a pitiful little mewl as the older mutant pulled it into his chest, tucking him close.
“What do we do?” Jubilee asked. “It’s too late to take him to a shelter but we don’t have anything here and–”
“Easy.” Gambit’s voice was soft. He wasn’t looking at her, eyes locked on the kitten as he gently pet a finger over its tiny head. “Simple solution, we just go out and get’im stuff.”
“But what about while we’re gone?” Jubilee asked. “Where do we put him? What if someone else finds out? They’ll just put him out on the streets again.”
“We take ‘im wit’ us den,” Gambit decided, shrugging as he carefully stood, tucking the kitten a little closer. “ Petit , head up t’ my room and grab my coat, oui ?”
Jubilee’s eyes went wide. Gambit never let anyone into his room if he wasn’t inside already.
“O–okay,” she stammered. “Anything else?”
“Non. Anythin’ else Gambit needs’ll be in de coat,” he replied.
“Okay. Where uh, where is it?” Because she was honored that he was letting her in his room and she wasn’t going to ruin that by snooping around.
“Tossed over de bed.”
She nodded and scurried out of the kitchen, heading upstairs to the bedrooms and quietly sliding into Gambit’s, only slightly surprised that it wasn’t locked. The coat was exactly where he said it would be and in a moment, she returned to the kitchen.
“What now?” She asked, handing it back. “We don’t have a carrier or anything.”
“No need f’one,” Gambit said, passing her the kitten back so that he could tug his coat on. Once he’d checked the pockets to ensure he had everything he needed, he gently took the kitten back and slipped it into one of his inner pockets.
“I hadn’t even thought of that.”
“It’ll keep de t’ing nice and warm,” he explained. “And means no one’ll see ‘im.”
“Oh that’s…that’s a good point.” She nodded. “Wait, but…how’re we gonna get anywhere? We can’t walk, it’s pouring.”
“Den we drive.”
“But…you don’t have a car,” Jubilee pointed out.
Gambit grinned. “Non,” he confirmed. “But Gambit knows how t’ hot wire one.”
Jubilee’s eyes went wide.
………………………
Jubilee wasn’t sure what was more concerning. The fact that Gambit was going well over the thirty-five mile an hour speed limit or the fact that he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt while doing it.
“Where did you learn to drive?” She asked nervously, eyeing the pouring rain outside the windows.
Gambit grinned. “Back home, in N’awlins,” he replied. “ Mon frère, my brother, taught me one night, when we w’bored.”
“Uh huh…” Jubilee eyed the speedometer. “And…how did that go?”
He just laughed .
…………………….
As soon as they walked into the store, the bored, overnight employee giving them barely a glance, Jubilee asked,
“What all does a kitten need?”
“Food, water, bed and toys,” Gambit listed off. “Litter and a box. Dey pretty easy t’take care of if y’got de stuff.”
“You’re going to buy it, right?” Jubilee asked quietly, as soon as they were out of earshot of the cashier. “You’re not stealing anything, are you?”
“‘Course not,” Gambit replied.
Jubilee eyed him. “Because you don't want to or because I’m here?” she asked suspiciously.
He just winked before tugging his sunglasses down over his eyes. Jubilee followed him over to the cat section of the store.
“What do we do with him when we get back?” She asked.
“We c’n keep ‘im if y’want.”
“But what about Scott? Or Logan or Jean or–”
“Dey might say no to you, but dey ain’t gonna waste dere breath wit’ Gambit,” he said. “I ain’t usually inclined to listen. You however, are expected to.”
“That’s true…” Jubilee murmured. She eyed his coat as he searched the labels on some kitten food. “So…can we keep him?”
“Course we can,” Gambit replied. “Tomorrow we c’n take ‘im to de vet, make sure he’s nice’n’healthy.”
Jubilee let out a breath. “Thank you, Gambit,” she murmured. “Seriously. Anyone else would’ve just told me to put him back on the streets.”
“Gambit ain’t ever gonna tell anyone t’go back t’de streets, I promise you dat.”
“Thank you.”
…………………………
The cashier barely gives them a second glance. Doesn’t even question Gambit wearing sunglasses indoors when it’s not even sunny outside. They head back out to the car with their purchases and place them in the trunk.
“Y’wanna keep ‘im in yer room, or want Gambit to watch’im?” Gambit asked, as he pulled onto the road and headed back towards the manor.
Jubilee thought about it for a few moments. “Maybe it’s best if you keep him,” she decided reluctantly. “If the others will only let him stay because you want to keep him, it makes more sense to have him with you, right?”
“Up t’you, petit .”
“That doesn’t feel fair though,” she said. “I’m the one who found him. It doesn’t seem fair to just dump him on you.”
“It’s fine, petit ,” he assured. “Gambit don’ mind.”
…………………….
When they got back, they carried the kitten’s things to Gambit’s room before he sent Jubilee off to have a shower and get changed. When she got back to his room, she found him seated on the floor, cradling the kitten to his chest with his coat abandoned at the side.
It hadn’t occurred to her until right then that she’d never seen him so…at peace.
Carefully sitting in front of him, she quietly murmured, “I never took you for a cat person. Or…an animal person at all, really.”
Gambit just hummed. It took him a few moments to lift his gaze from the kitten in his arms.
“When Gambit was lil’,” he began. “B’fore Jean-Luc took me in, I lived on de streets.” Jubilee stared. She hadn’t known that. “During dat time, some of de best friends I had were kittens and pups.” He turned his gaze back down to the kitten and in the silence, Jubilee could hear it purring. “Dey were de only ones back den dat didn’ give a shit if Gambit was a mutant or no.”
“I never knew that.”
Gambit just shrugged. “Been a long time, since Gambit lived on de streets,” he told her, lifting his gaze again. “Don’ seem important enough t’bring up anymore.”
“Does anyone know?”
“De Professor.”
“Anyone else?”
“Non.”
She nodded slowly. “Thank you for telling me.”
Gambit just smiled, lifting the kitten as he gave it a little kiss. “Y’got a name for ‘im, petit ?”
“Oh, uh, no not really. I hadn’t thought of one.” She frowned. “Do you want to name him? Since he’s sort of yours.” And she found she didn’t mind that. She may have been the one to find the kitten but something told her she wasn’t going to be getting it back from Gambit now.
She was okay with that.
He hummed. “Lucky Spark,” he decided, grinning at her. “Spark f’yer powers. Lucky f’you findin’ him.”
She smiled in return. “Lucky Spark,” she agreed. “I like it.” She reached out to gently stroke the kitten between the eyes. “Welcome home, Lucky Spark.”